Animals in this Exhibit

Side profile of an American avocet, a large, migratory shorebird with a black-and-white body, long legs, and a thin, upturned bill.

American avocet

flamingo sitting in grass

American flamingo

Golden plover with wings tucked in

American golden plover

An American oystercatcher shows off its long orange beak in the Bird House's Delaware Bay aviary.

American oystercatcher

A female American wigeon, a medium-sized duck with tawny brown upperparts and creamy white belly, stands in side profile.

American wigeon

A male Baltimore oriole perches on a branch. Males have black heads and brilliant-orange bodies.

Baltimore oriole

Side profile of a band-tailed pigeon, a gray bird with a yellow beak and a white ring around its neck, perching on a branch.

Band-tailed pigeon

large gray and white owl sitting on a post

Barred owl

Black and white warbler perches in the crook of a v-shaped tree branch.

Black-and-white warbler

A male and female black-bellied whistling ducks stand on some rocks in their indoor habitat. There is some vegetation growing behind them.

Black-bellied whistling duck

A white, gray and black feathered bird, called a black-capped chickadee, perched on a tree branch. The bird has aluminum tracking bands around its legs

Black-capped chickadee

Side profile of a black-necked stilt, a medium-sized shorebord with long legs, a black and white body, a black neck and a long, thin conical bill.

Black-necked stilt

Side profile of a black-throated green warbler. This specimen has a yellow head, a gray throat, gray and black wings, and white undersides. It does not look particularly green.

Black-throated green warbler

Side profile of a blue grosbeak, a small songbird with black-and-blue plumage and a gray cone-shaped bill.

Blue grosbeak

Side profile of a blue ground dove, a medium-sized bird with blue and gray feathers.

Blue ground dove

large black bird with a long tail and legs and a short, stubby bill perched on a branch

Blue-billed curassow

A male bufflehead swims in an indoor pool. The water is very clear and there is some greenery poking out from the upper left corner and lower right corner of the photo.

Bufflehead

Male and female canvasback ducks floating in a pond

Canvasback

Carolina wren in the Bird House

Carolina wren

A single cedar waxwing rests upon a tree branch in the Bird Friendly Coffee Farm aviary.

Cedar waxwing

A male common yellowthroat perches on a branch. It has a black mask, a yellow throat and belly, and a brown head, wings, and tail.

Common yellowthroat

Forward profile of a dunlin, a small brown and grey shorebird with long legs and a long beak.

Dunlin

A large brownish-gray duck.

Gadwall

Side profile of a female grasshopper sparrow, a small bird with a brown back, reddish-brown chest plumage and cream-colored undersides.

Grasshopper sparrow

A female gray catbird, a medium-sized bird with a gray body and a long tail, perches on a tree branch.

Gray catbird

A horseshoe crab and mummichog fish in the Delaware Bay aviary.

Horseshoe crab

An indigo bunting, a small songbird with a royal blue colored body, black wings, and a black eyemask, perches on a tree branch.

Indigo bunting

Kori bustard, a turkey-sized bird with gray and white plumage, with inflated neck

Kori bustard

Magnolia warbler (bird) perched on a tree branch in front of a white background

Magnolia warbler

A mummichog, a small, thin, tan-colored fish, swims through salty waters.

Mummichog

A northern mockingbird, a small songbird with a gray body, black and white wings, and a slightly downward curved gray beak, perches on a tree branch.

Northern mockingbird

A male Northern pintail stands on a white backdrop.

Northern pintail

A male northern shoveler stands on a white backdrop.

Northern shoveler

An orchard oriole, a small songbird with black upperparts and reddish-brown underparts, perches on a tree branch.

Orchard oriole

Side profile of a male ovenbird, a small songbird with a brown back and a white chest with dark brown streaks, sits perched on a branch.

Ovenbird

Painted bunting on a tree branch.

Painted bunting

Forward profile of a male palm warbler, a small songbird with brown wings and a pale yellow belly with brown streaks, perches on a tree branch.

Palm warbler

a graphic depiction of a bird in flight with the text "Photos coming soon!" beneath it

Plain chachalaca

A pumpkinseed, a medium-sized, seed-shaped fish with a patch of blue scales near its face, swims through fresh water.

Pumpkinseed

Close-up picture of a red knot's head. Rusty red plumage covers much of the bird's face. It has gray-brown feathers on the top of its head, black eyes and a long, gray beak.

Red knot

A side profile of a red eyed vireo, a small songbird with a gray-brown head, back, and wings, and a creamy-white colored belly. It is perching on a tree branch.

Red-eyed vireo

A female red-winged blackbird perches on a tree branch. Unlike males, females do not have red patches on their wings; instead, they have speckled light and brown markings all over their bodies (like the one shown here.)

Red-winged blackbird

Side profile of a male redhead, a medium-sized duck with reddish-brown feathers covering its head.

Redhead

A side profile of a female grosbeak, a brown-colored bird with a beak that's fairly large for its head. It does not have the rose-breasted coloring that males in their breeding plumage have.

Rose-breasted grosbeak

A snowy white goose with a triangular bill walks on a background of green and pale yellow grass.

Ross's goose

A male ruddy duck with brown plumage, a black-capped head, white cheeks and a blue beak, in a sitting position.

Ruddy duck

A ruddy quail-dove, a cinammon-colored member of the dove family, walks on the forest floor with a small stick in its mouth.

Ruddy quail-dove

Ruddy turnstone at the Bird House

Ruddy turnstone

Side profile of a sanderling, a small, plump shorebird with gray and white plumage.

Sanderling

Sandhill crane patrolling a grassy yard

Sandhill crane

Side profile of a scarlet ibis, a wading bird with reddish-orange plumage and a long, curved bill.

Scarlet ibis

Scarlet tanager bird perched on a tree branch

Scarlet tanager

Side profile of a semipalmated plover, a small, compact, long-legged shorebird with a brown back, white undersides and a black mask over its eyes.

Semipalmated plover

Semipalmated sandpiper on a black background

Semipalmated sandpiper

Side profile of a short-billed dowitcher, a shorebird with patterened brown plumage and a straight bill.

Short-billed dowitcher

Side view of a medium-sized goose with blue-tinted gray body feathers and a white head.

Snow goose

Side profile of a song sparrow, a small bird with streaky brown plumage, perching on a branch.

Song sparrow

A striped hermit crab holds several claws and legs over the edge of a conch-shaped shell resting on light-colored rocks.

Striped hermit crab

Side profile of a Swainson's thrush, a medium-sized songbird with an olive brown back and a white chest with brown spots, sitting while perched on a tree branch.

Swainson's thrush

Front-side profile of a Tennessee warbler, a small songbird with yellow and gray plumage.

Tennessee warbler

A pair of standard bronze turkeys use their bills to forage for food in the grass outside the Bird House.

Turkey

A black-and blue bird with a pale yellow belly.

Turquoise tanager

A duck with white cheeks and throat and a body light brown with dark spots on the chest and belly.

White-cheeked pintail

brown bird with a pale throat and conical bill

White-throated sparrow

Very large pure white bird with reddish crown and black moustached and long pointed bill

Whooping crane

A multicolored wood duck with red eyes and webbed feet stands on a rock

Wood duck

Side profile of a wood thrush, a medium-sized songbird with bright brown plumage on its upper parts and a creamy white chest with brown spots,

Wood thrush

A yellow-breasted chat, a small songbird with grey upper parts and a yellow belly, perches on a tree branch in the Coffee Farm aviary of the Bird House.

Yellow-breasted chat

Yellow-rumped warbler at the Bird House

Yellow-rumped warbler

Take a Video Tour of the Bird House

Construction notice: The walkway behind the Bird House is currently under construction. While we prepare to reopen soon, please be aware that some animals, including rheas and cassowaries, will be temporarily unavailable for viewing.

Explore the Bird House

Step into the vibrant world of North American shorebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Wander through immersive aviaries that replicate natural ecosystems, where over 80 species of birds roam freely. From the shores of the Delaware Bay to lush Midwestern prairie potholes and tropical bird-friendly coffee farms, each habitat offers a glimpse into the diverse lives of these feathered creatures.

What to Expect

You can explore three immersive, aviaries featuring bilingual panels in English and Spanish, highlighting dozens of bird species that migrate across the Americas annually.

For young children, the Washington Wood Thrush serves as a friendly guide through each of the exhibit areas. 

In the Observatory room, visitors can learn how Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center staff conduct wild bird banding and use satellite tracking to follow the movement of birds. 

Plus, daily keeper talks and feeding demonstrations allow you to get up close to the resident birds and meet the keepers who care for them.

Outside the Bird House

Discover birds native to the Western Hemisphere— including turkeys, sandhill cranes, and flamingos — in the outdoor plateau. Explore a bird-friendly garden showcasing native plants like purple coneflowers and downy serviceberry trees, creating essential habitats for local wildlife.

The Smithsonian’s animal care experts understand that the environment animals live in is a critical aspect of their well-being; therefore, each free-flight aviary in the Bird House is designed to suit species’ specific needs and give the birds an outlet to use their natural behaviors.  

Habitat areas in the Delaware Bay aviary, for example, were designed to include a mix of ground cover that includes sand, rocks, clay, grass matting and salt water. Driftwood and rocks—which the birds would encounter in their natural environment—serve as “furniture” for perching. Their habitat also contains a running water feature, which gives the birds a space to wade near the water’s edge. 

Additionally, the Zoo’s Bird House keepers provide the animals with special enrichment items to keep them physically active and mentally sharp. Enrichment can range from using natural materials (such as pine needles or driftwood) in their habitat, to presenting their food in a way that encourages foraging (like hiding worms under leaves). 

Environmental enrichment can also influence the birds’ chances of successfully producing chicks. At the start of the breeding season, Bird House keepers “set the mood” by providing a variety of nesting materials—such as dried moss, raffia, cotton, fur, coconut fibers and even cobwebs—so the birds can pick and choose how to assemble and decorate their nests. Many birds choose to take advantage of small, man-made baskets placed throughout the habitats by adding nesting material to them.  

Diet and Feeding 

The Zoo’s Bird House staff considers each species’ food preferences, weight and physiology to provide species-appropriate, nutritionally balanced diets that will support the birds over their lifetime and allow them to thrive in human care. 

Migratory songbirds and shorebirds have different dietary and nutritional needs than their non-migratory counterparts. For instance, migratory birds gain weight during key points in their annual migration cycle. In the wild, this is key to their survival-- the extra calories (i.e., energy) enable them to fly thousands of miles to reach their breeding grounds in spring or wintering grounds in fall. Migratory songbirds at the Zoo exhibit the same physiological weight change. 

Working closely with the Zoo’s Department of Nutrition Sciences, Bird House keepers provide food items that replicate what the birds would be eating based on the time of year. In spring and summer, the birds are fed more insects, which are both rich in protein and easy to find in their northern breeding grounds. In the colder months, the birds eat more fruit, just as they would in their tropical wintering habitats.  

The Zoo’s animal care staff carefully considers the birds’ weight and physiology to make daily tweaks and seasonal adjustments to their diets. Through positive reinforcement training, Bird House keepers are able to regularly monitor the animals’ weights. Keepers cue the birds to voluntarily “station” (stand still upon a scale) while they take note of their weights. If the birds choose to participate, they receive a favorite food item as a reward. This careful monitoring ensures the birds are kept within the weight ranges that their wild counterparts exhibit. 

Now more than ever, raising awareness about the plight of migratory birds is key to their survival.  

Since 1970, bird populations in the U.S. and Canada have declined by 29%, or almost 3 billion birds, signaling a widespread ecological crisis. Studies show tremendous losses across diverse groups of birds and habitats — from iconic songsters such as meadowlarks, to long-distance migrants such as swallows and backyard birds including sparrows. More than one-third of North America’s birds are at risk of going extinct unless significant action is taken to save them and their habitats. 

At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, scientists and keepers are working together to study, understand and conserve common birds now––before it is too late to save them. 

The Smithsonian is dedicated to understanding, conserving and championing the grand phenomenon of bird migration. Founded in 1991, and located at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center scientists seek to clarify why migratory bird populations are declining before the situation becomes desperate and help raise awareness about migratory birds and the need to protect diverse habitats across the Western Hemisphere. 

For more information on the Smithsonian’s bird conservation initiatives, visit the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center web page. 

Bird House Animal Demonstration Schedule

10:00 a.m.  | Wild Bird Banding Demonstration (Saturdays; weather dependent)

10:30 a.m. | Keeper Chat: Shorebirds (Wednesdays and Fridays)

10:30 a.m. | Keeper Chat: Ducks (Tuesdays and Thursdays)

11 a.m. | Keeper Chat: Flamingos (Thursdays only)

11 a.m. | Keeper Chat: Turkeys (Saturdays and Sundays)

11 a.m. | Bird-Friendly Coffee Demonstration and Coffee Tasting (Saturdays)

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